A Blackened Paradise
by DarknessRunsDeep
Summary: The Realm of Darkness welcomes none, and for a denizen of light to remain in the realm means nothing more than certain death. With no chance to escape, Aqua wanders in hope of finding an escape, yet all changes when a familiar realm begins its descent into the void.
1. Chapter 1

Emptiness. All that remained was an emptiness. Silent waves seemed to resonate in her head. Her eyes slowly shifted open as she sat up. The sands felt heavy against her body. It scratched against her clothes as she pushed herself up. Even the air kept an eerie silence. It was dry, and while she could smell the sea, there was the scent of something very wrong.

Aqua's blue eyes scanned the infinite darkness. The lightless realm gave little to give her solace. It was barren, and what was left of any world as in ruination. A grim sadness covered her face and her eyes had grown dull. She had forgotten how long she had been travelling the dead realm. Her master's keyblade dragged across the grayscale dunes, digging up a small layer of the ground in her wake. It was always a great way to tell her way home. It was a horrible concept. This place was no one's home, and yet she had to call it such.

The heartless hadn't found her yet. She wondered to herself just how it came that the monsters hadn't come to her yet, but she was thankful that the horde hasn't amassed. It was curious. Every day, no matter where she was, there was heartless after her. Purebloods constantly clamoring for the light in her heart. Her shoulders shuddered. The last time there even had been a small reprieve in fighting the giant ones had found her. Her head darted in every direction and her blade was raised. I was strange. There was no scent of darkness surging towards her. There wasn't even a smallest inkling of it.

There was nothing. Aqua cringed for a moment. Her hands trembled and she slid down to her knees. Her breath was growing heavy. She could feel her own anger welling. Anger of being trapped. Anger of being unable to save her friends. Anger from falling into such a state. She could even feel her own prowess as a master fail her. "I'm sorry." She spoke aloud. Her voice had been rasped. She had no need to speak for some time, even her own voice had been a surprise to her. She remembered her voice had a different sound. It was strained now. Hollow. The fact alone made her grip her blade. She could feel a sinking feeling in her grow. The thought had remained in her head since her entrapment, and this only made her sink in her realization. She would remain here. She had one fate. Oblivion would be the only thing that would await her.

Aqua's thoughts broke free as she looked on in front of her as a pair of yellow eyes gazed back at her through the darkness. Immediately the woman rose up and stood in stance. The eyes blinked and quickly darted away. It was a curious thing. Most of the monsters attacked without a moment's notice. This one just left once it noticed she had seen it. A puzzled look came to her face, but she thought nothing of it. Perhaps the creatures had grown wise to her. Or more specifically, the weapon she wielded. She too, could bring oblivion to these monsters.

Lifting herself up, she stretched off to continue her search. Another world had fallen, and through it perhaps she could find a home in the ruins of the world. She sighed. She should have marked the direction she saw the debris fall the night it fell, but she did not think to explore that deep into the realm. She wasn't sure how expansive the void of this world was, but she knew that there were more dangers the deeper she ventured into the dark. It wasn't just the beasts. The world itself had a sick joy in its fragility. A fact that Aqua kept close to her. She had far too many close calls with a bridge falling underneath her when she first began in this barren waste. Drawing her blade from the ground, she corrected her posture. She had something to search for, and in thevery least, she needed to try. Terra and Ven depended on her. She needed to keep going for their sake.

The way was slow and arduous. The dirt had become slick with ash and small blocks of unidentifiable debris had become commonplace as she moved closer to the landing site. Cracks in the ground hued a gentle glow and as she approached the site, the sky itself echoed in violent purple hues. Had she believed there was a god of the dark, she imagined it was furious and oblivious to its own realm. Everything had become so chaotic. Wisps of blue hues showed signs of land, but the dark had consumed it, leaving nothing but its shade in the dusk-ridden realm. Aqua knew if she wanted to continue, she would have to remove the heartless that consumed their land. It was tiring. The constant fighting simply to reach one stretch of the wastes bothered her immensely.

As she raised her weapon and approached the collective mass of darkness, her wayfinder began to echo in brightness and quickly the mass dissipated. Her eyes widened. This wasn't a normal. Usually the monsters sprung forth to steal her heart, but it wasn't so in this case. It simply was dispelled. It wasn't a monster that caused it. Something else had magic, and dark magic at that. Someone who could manipulate the realm like a natural-born creature.

Her eyes lightened and determination flushed her face as she leapt upwards, gripping onto the edge of the vine-like grounding and propelling herself further upwards. A few extended leaps and she had made it upwards to safer land. Aqua scanned the surroundings. Someone had left this for a reason, and it had to mean that person must have been near. Her eyes kept a close look for anyone, anything that could be close. She still felt nothing. She paused and broke into a cold sweat. She felt it. An immense darkness. And its hand touched the small of her back. A chilling cold sweeped up her spine as the palm of its hand slid upwards. A smooth, darkened voice echoed in its wake.

"You made it. I knew you would. I've been waiting for you for so long." The voice crooned softly. Aqua knew that voice. She remembered it. It was familiar but it couldn't be. She knew better. She had made sure of his fate.

"T-Terra?" she responded with uncertainty as she felt the hand's finger trace up the notches of her back. She could feel a fingernail etch into each space. Aqua turned her head slightly, hoping to find the man behind her, but only the fading black smoke greeted her, yet the hand slid off her back and across her side.

"Not yet." The voice responded. "You need to see more. Keep going. You won't miss it." The woman scanned, turning around to see where the man had gone, but all that left was a trail of black smoke that lead into a thick landmass. She only presumed it was where she was meant to go. Terra had never lead her astray. He wouldn't. Aqua kept her eyes on the smoke trail and ran towards it. Her strides eventually grew into sprints as the trail began to die, and quickly she became lost in a new section of the realm. It had to be new. She stopped and bent downwards. The ground was different. It wasn't dead. It was rocky and mountainous. Grass still grew, yet she knew this would not last. The very color of life in the world seemed to die out. She paused. It was familiar, but she couldn't place it. It was off-color and broken. She wasn't even sure what to make of this new realm. Terra wanted her to see something, but what was beyond her.

With a sigh, she continued onwards. "What are you trying to tell me, Terra?" she asked aloud. The ground pillared upward, and as the trail lead up this cylindrical landmass, she knew Terra had to be at the top. She placed the blade of her master in her free hand, holding the handle in her other. There had to be a reason for all of this. Her eyes jerked as she say a gold chain falling towards her. She quickly dodged the oncoming enormous metal descending towards her. The metal clanked and crashed against the stony pillar. She looked up and saw the enormous, decorated golden ring that covered the pillar. She instantly knew what mass had landed. "No!" she echoed. Her home had made itself a permanent resident in the shadows. Had this been what Terra had wanted to show her? She needed to hurry. There were too many questions, and Terra was certain to have the answers.

As she reached the top of the stone pillar, the grass swayed gently and a small pool of water had remained. It once served as a waterfall, but the descent must have removed its source. At the very end stood the man she had been looking for. "Terra!" she screamed to garner his attention. The man turned, and she continued. "Terra, what happened? Where's Ven? I-"

"It was always about Ven, wasn't it?" the man retorted. "Always worrying about Ven!" the brunet responded with a glare. "You let Xehanort consume me! You let me waste and all you could care about is Ven?! You left me! You left me, and the master with you! I couldn't do it alone, and you left me! You left me to rot!"

"Terra, I-" she stopped and looked downwards. She didn't even consider that she damned him. She had thought she was helping him. Her eyes welled slightly at the thought, holding her left arm tightly as she kept her gaze away from the man. "I thought you could beat the darkness inside you. I thought that you cou-"

"You thought wrong and you left me for dead!" He yelled at her, his eyes shifting to a pure yellow. "Xehanort took my body, now look what's left of me!"

"What's left of you? Terra…you're still here." She dropped her keyblade, approaching the young man. "You look like how you used to."

The man's lips turned upwards. "Do I? Is that what you see?"

"Yes."

"Open your eyes, Aqua."

The woman stepped closer. Slowly the man's figure began to change. His skin was lighter. Blackened veins seemed to etch his face, like shattered porcelain placed together. His eyes kept their inhuman golden glow. Black tufts of smoke seemed to haze off of his body. She paused and she took a step back. It couldn't be Terra. It had his form, but it couldn't have been him. This wasn't human.

"Are you afraid of me now?" His eyes kept their hold on the woman, his dark brown hair shifted as he took a step toward her. A long, black flowing hakama seemed to flow and cover his legs, flowing and clinging to his hips as though it had been a part of him, fading into his pallid skin.

"W-What happened to you, Terra?"

"I found a way out. A way to you. Why can't you be happy to see me?" His eyes kept their glare, yet a cold smile seemed to echo across the phantom's face.

"I am. I-" she paused. Looking at Terra brought chills to her. She kept her gaze low. He wasn't the same. He didn't even look like he was normal. His hands were the same black that covered his legs. They were clawed and she was certain she had fallen in some kind of bad dream.

"You what? You can't look at me? You don't even seem to want me around?" His steps echoed over the water, straight towards her. "It takes a strength of heart to overcome almighty odds. I was a prisoner of my own body. All I could think about was getting back to you, and this is how I'm treated?"

Terra walked past her, picking up his master's blade. He threw it at her feet, listening to it clatter on the stone ground. "Let's have it then. Strike me down."

"What?" Aqua looked up, gripping the weapon.

"I'm just another monster to you. End me, then."

"No…" She could feel her throat close and she looked up to the body before her. "Terra, I can't." she pulled herself up and closed the space between them. "I can't do that to you." She looked towards the phantom's appearance. It may have not looked entirely like what Terra once did, but his words spoke a different tune.

Those were memories only Terra could have had. She was certain that if it was some trick, it had to be cleverly designed. Terra's memories weren't something even she was privy too entirely. This phantom, this Terra knew what she didn't. It couldn't have been some kind of illusion, but it didn't mean this wasn't something else entirely.

"Then what is it?" He kept his eyes on her. "You said once all that mattered was my heart. Tell me what's changed." Terra's tone was serious, but she was glad he no longer seemed to be angered.

Aqua looked away for a moment. She let out a sigh, her breath cutting off. She could feel herself choke up as she looked at him. "How do I know you're the same Terra? I've wandered this place far too long." She looked down. "I've had dreams. Dreams of us. Where we leave and don't look back. Where everyone is okay and nothing is wrong. Then I wake up and I'm here again. How do I know this isn't it again?"

Terra's eyes locked onto hers and placed a hand on her cheek. Her eyes widened and she looked at him. "T-Terra?" she asked. He had been so enraged before. She wasn't sure why the change was so sudden. His hand felt odd on her skin. It was cold and it did not feel like flesh. It felt wrong. Unnatural.

"Do I feel like a dream?" he asked, placing another hand above her waist, wrapping around her back as she pulled her closer to him. Aqua felt nervous. A cold sweat echoed the swift beating of her heart. His change was so sudden. It felt out of place.

"No." she responded weakly, whispering out as her eyes locked into his golden ones, still uncertain.

"Don't be afraid." He responded. "I'm still me. You trust me, right?" his voice grew softer. He lessened his grip on Aqua. "See? I'm not going to hurt you." He continued, sliding his right hand down her cheek and under her chin. "It's not the same, but I can still feel you."

"You're cold." She responded.

"You're warm." He retorted, a gentle smile growing on his face. He leaned in towards her, sliding his arm down her left arm, gripping her hand and placing it gently on his chest. Aqua was startled as she felt the man's heartbeat. It was gentle and calm. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't like the other monsters, and it brought her some comfort. It had a heart. It had to be Terra. She could feel a smile creep on her face. It had been so long since she even smiled. The shock of it almost made her laugh, and her body shook gently to suppress the urge.

"And here?" Terra asked, his face slowly turning to a familiar skin tone, only to be flushed back to its pallid appearance.

"Warm." She whispered.

"Good." He returned. "My heart is still mine." His breath brushed against her lips and she felt her cheeks flush.

"Terra, I-" she stopped, looking at him. "We haven't been like this so long. I don't know if I-"

"It's okay." He was close. She could swear she felt him smile. Her hands wrapped around his waist and back, keeping their distance just as close. "We have time, don't we?"

"We do." She wanted this. She hadn't felt this closeness in hundreds of years, or so she felt. His body was still so cold, and it felt so different. So unusual. "You're really here, right?"

"I'm no dream." He said softly, nuzzling against her neck gently. She shivered in response. Her hand raised and slid through his hair. He felt real. She gripped onto him gently and she could feel his body press against hers entirely. Her hands followed the bare skin of his body down his back. She could hear his breath shorten and she turned to look at the man before her.

"So you're not. You're my Terra, alright." She smiled up at him, her eyes gently giving off a glow only Terra knew.

The man's face had turned a little red. "You had to do that to prove it to you, huh?" he let out a smirk, placing his hands on both sides of her face. He could feel them burning with a red glow.

It was silent for a moment. The two kept each other's gaze. Aqua's eyes closed and gently she closed the gap between them. She could feel him. Even without sight, she knew exactly where he was. Every part of her could feel his aura. Her hands gripped the back of his hips as she met his lips with hers. She smiled through it and broke it almost instantly. He felt just like she remembered. They were soft, and a little torn at the edges, but they were definitely Terra's. Aqua's smile brightened as she looked up at him. His eyes. They were still stained gold and slowly she shifted her hands up to his face. She could feel his cheekbones. He felt so gaunt, or perhaps more than her memory had of him. Her fingers lightly slid downwards under his eyes, her thumbs at the creases of the man's face.

"What happened to us?" she asked, a sadness consuming her chest as she gently gripped onto the sides of Terra's face.

The man's eyes looked down to meet Aqua's. Tears welled into her eyes and they glistened in the darkness. She could feel his breath as a heavy sigh left his lungs. It echoed through her and she slid her hands down his neck and wrapped them over his shoulders. "I let everyone down, Aqua. That's where I went wrong."

"No." she pulled Terra close to her and placed his head against hers. She smiled gently as she felt their noses touch. "The darkness pulled you in, and Xehanort used the Master to fuel you on. You didn't let anyone down, Terra." She pulled his head back, looking straight into his eyes. "We're all still here. We all still love you. The Master, Ven." She paused, taking his hand and pulling it towards her chest. She gripped it gently. It felt as cold as the darkness around them, but somewhere, she knew it was different. It was Terra's. She pressed it up against her chest. Her heart raced, partially from the man's expression and the very closeness such a weapon was to her own heart.

Her lips gently hovered over his as she continued. "And me." Her other hand reached for his cheek and rubbed her thumb across his face gently. "You might not have the same body, but your heart is the same, right?" her breath echoed over his lips, and he quivered in response. She knew how close she was to his lips. She could even feel them tremble.

"Yeah." He stumbled it out, and she grinned.

"That's my boy." She let out a gentle kiss in return. She felt a light spark within her. It had been so long since she even had such feelings inside her, and it simply flooded back to her. All of her memories. All the nights back in the Land of Departure, every little escapade. She felt herself grow warm, and she began to let a gentle glow cover her face. She could feel Terra's face follow suit, and she grinned through their locking, playfully pressing her lips against his once more.

Suddenly, the taller man released her, a hand running through her hair. "Aqua. I don't think – I don't want you to get hurt by me."

"What? Why would you even do that?"

"It's not that simple to explain." His gaze looked saddened, and Aqua paused.

"You need to." Her concern turning serious.

"I-" He stopped, and the woman only kept her gaze. She wasn't going to relent. She never did. Normally they would have smiled and had exchanged a joke before they pursued, but even Terra knew better than to cross Aqua.

"Let's go. I don't have much longer."


	2. 2 The Unpleasant Cage

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked the shade of his older friend. "Why wouldn't you have much longer?"

"It's easier to show it than tell you." He scanned the horizon. "They're never around anymore." He grumbled to himself. She was certain he didn't intend it to be heard, but Terra always lacked subtlety or even basic stealth. Normally it might have made her laugh, but his words bothered her. She couldn't imagine what he needed, and whatever it was, it had to be something about the lack of creatures.

She watched the man, carefully examining him. Terra's body moved, crossing over the dunes and rocks, without concern. His limbs twisted as he moved upwards. Musculature seemed to cross over his shoulders and move underneath the pale white skin irregularly. She thought at first it was within the way he moved. It was more feral than how the structured man she once knew walked, yet all the while it flowed freely and eloquently. It wasn't difficult for her to keep up with him. Where her own feet couldn't reach, her magic made quick work to close the gap.

"You haven't told me what we're looking for." She looked at the man. Terra looked intent. His concentration was left, and she watched the man.

"found it." He muttered quickly under his breath. Aqua kept her distance close as the phantom broke into a sprint.

"Found what?" she asked, using a magic seal to boost herself closer to Terra. "Terra, what are we looking for?"

"A special kind of these things." He looked back at the woman and let out a smile. "You haven't lost a step." He was changing the subject. Aqua knew there was something amiss, but his focus to her made her smile in response. It was foreign now, but she still had memories when it was a more common occasion, much before their last mission together. Before she was a master.

"You don't get the option to when you're fighting for your life." She responded. "You seem to be doing well yourself.

The man made a small grunt. "Guess so." He let out a weakened smile. She could tell there was something wrong. Terra's body felt like it was made of darkness. The poisonous aura seemed to radiate and when she thought about it, it made her hesitant. The darkness had a way of tricking the mind. She gripped her master's blade carefully. It sounded and looked like Terra, and she was sure he was somewhere within it, but somehow there seemed to be too much amiss. It was too close. Too convenient. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could feel the shadowy clawed hands on her throat. A cold sweat enveloped her.

Suddenly the man stopped, crouching over a Cliffside, his blackened forearm pushed outwards, as if to keep the keyblade master from moving too close.

Aqua was silent, but her face etched a curiosity. "They'll see you." He responded. She looked at him, following his lead. "Just sit tight. I'll be back."

Aqua leaned upwards as the shade leapt from the Cliffside, sliding his way down the dusky dunes. The black hakama-pants, or whatever it was that was constructing Terra's appearance, flowed and wrapped against his legs. It was reassuring to her. The cloth seemed to meld into the white flesh Terra now held. It was still so strange to see him as he was. He wasn't the same, and whatever he was it felt too much like the monsters that inhabited the realm. She only hoped it wasn't a creature created from her own memory. The man carried the golden eyes common to the monsters here. They looked just like Xehanort's. It felt wrong. The blue eyed Terra she knew was gone, and had been for more than she could remember. A small sigh escaped her as she gazed on at the man. He had finally reached the bottom. She could see what he finally meant. There was a nest. A large orb of pulsing shadow. It had to be his target. She presumed Terra had been fighting these monsters too. It explained the emptiness of them, when he had found her. He must have purged the Ruins of Departure before she had gotten there.

Her attention returned as she was Terra pull himself into his standard fighting stance. His hands were still empty. She was sure he had some kind of weapon. Her eyes widened as he approached the pulsing nest, plunging his arm into it. Black flames screamed through the air as he jerked his hand out once more, a darkball firmly in his grip. Aqua looked on curiously as it seemed that Terra just pulled it to stare. Purple blazes surged from his right shoulder and seemed to slam into the darkball, which let out what she could imagine was some form of inhuman scream. The creature disintegrated into a purple haze, and Terra's hand reached into it. She was unsure of what ritual he had been performing, but she knew it was familiar. His movements mocked a memory. Her eyes focused and within a moment the purple mess began forming something. Bit by bit. Block by block it reforged the creature into a blade. Her eyes widened. She knew that shape. It had no chain, and the guard had gone, but that blade was unquestionably in the form of his keyblade.

Terra seemed confident as the remainder of the nest surged outwards at him. They must have acknowledged their comrade's shift, and naturally it perturbed the inhabitants. She couldn't see Terra's face, but she could feel the smirk that was likely on it. He enjoyed combat, as serious as he was, when he wanted something, he'd relish in the struggle, and that made his strength. He wouldn't give up from a small setback. She knew this, and as Terra kept his stance and quickly the small horde descended upon him. Another darkball opened its maw, wanting to strike down the man in a foul swing. Terra's blade responded in kind, cleaving the creature in two. "No." the man responded, impatient.

Aqua was uncertain what was being said, but as each creature was felled, he repeated it. A somber, calculated "No." Aqua looked on as he continued slaughtering the creatures. She didn't understand. He was slaying them. What was detestable? As the crowd slimmed down, it left Terra with one last creature. A neoshadow. The monster continuously faded into the ground and she could see Terra struggling with it. There was an off feeling about it. The creature was obviously being defensive. Most of her encounters the creatures were suicidal. Every last breath was spent offensively and this one remained, slinking in the dark. She was surprised to see Terra suddenly do the same, and the realm was silent for a moment.

A giant glowing hand surged outward from the shadows, the creature in its grasp as Terra emerged once more. Quickly he made a stride to push the creature off its balance and impale it with his blade. She could see the creature flail as Terra stuck the blade into the ground. Aqua could see the man's mouth move but his words were too soft for her to hear. She looked on in shock as he grabbed the creature's neck and pulled it up the blade. She felt uncertain. While it was a monster, she could see the cruelty Terra had begun to display upon it, and it left a sour taste in her mouth.

It didn't take long to see the display turn worse. Terra dug his talons into the creature, shredding it apart. The creature kicked and flailed to no avail as the taller man began to rip through its body. His voice began getting louder, shouts of "Where are you?!" became common and Aqua could hear the disdain in his voice. She jumped off, following the man's slide carefully, all the while seeing the man she knew viciously rend the creature apart. Even for a warrior like her, the sight was ghastly.

As the creature's energy dispelled, its kicks and efforts to defend itself lessened. "Terra!" Aqua yelled. It still did not make the man flinch. "Terra, what are you doing?!" she continued to yell, but his mind was somewhere else. Somewhere much darker than the realm.

She approached him, her blade at the ready. "Terra, why would you do such a thing?!"

"I found it, Aqua." He replied, a smile slowly etched to his face. "It's okay. I found it."

"Found what?" she replied, and as he turned a gentle glow covered his pallid body. "You went all this way to find a lost heart?"

"Yes." He responded. "I need it." He examined it carefully. It looked just like a precious gem, carefully refined. Its glow radiated warmth. It was truly untampered. The purity was divine.

Aqua looked at him curiously. "You need it? Terra, you have a heart. Why would you need another?"

Terra's golden eyes gleamed off the heart and onto Aqua's briefly. There was something in his stare that was offputting to her. He seemed different. He wasn't looking at Aqua, or at least it felt like he had completely phased her out. His eyes darted back to the heart. His shadowy claws grasped it tightly. "You don't understand!" he gave a cold grin as his attention garnered to the heart. "I need this." He spoke softly, and his mouth opened slowly.

Aqua jumped back, her eyes enrapt with fear. She couldn't believe it. As she raised her blade, Terra's cracked face seemed to split. A black film kept the white skin in porcelain moving like a web as his mouth seemed to dislodge and grow. Slowly, he let the gem slide into his mouth, a long, purple-black tongue wrapped itself around the heart and dragged it down his mouth. His throat swelled as it passed its way down into his body.

Aqua was speechless. She couldn't' believe what Terra had done. Her mind raced to a million different places. "H-How could you, Terra?!" What's become of you?!" she prepared her weapon, readying herself. This couldn't have been him. Terra wouldn't, he couldn't do something so horrible.

"Where is my friend?!" She demanded of the man, this time, ready to finish the last monster remaining.


	3. One False Move

"Put it down Aqua." The phantom persisted. "You don't unders-" his voice cracked into an echoed yell as his master's blade made contact with his jaw. Aqua lined up for another swipe at the man. Terra's body spun from the force and landed on the ground, dust and sand sprayed from the weight of his body being slammed onto the fragile earth. Pieces of land crumbled and fell into the black abyss around them. Terra let out a gentle laugh, and Aqua could feel an anger grow. It felt like the man was playing a game, and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Enough! Where is Terra?!" she screamed at him.

"Really Aqua?" He asked, a bitterness growing in his tone. He rubbed his lower jaw. A white mist faded from his face as he pressed his black, claw-like hand to it. "Who has nothing but hate and rage now? Tell me how you're honoring the Master?" He growled, kneeling himself back up. His yellow eyes glowered at the woman. Aqua could feel them piercing through her, and she reciprocated. Aqua was ready. This phantom had gone on too long about her master. Eraqus made her master, he trusted her with her secrets. The secrets of a keyblade master. She let out a short growl, keeping her fighting stance.

"Shut up!" her eyebrows furrowed as she kept glaring at the monster. "You don't know anything about the Master! You're just another freak from this place!" she screamed at the phantom Terra as she charged at him. As the blade swung for Terra's head the phantom lifted an arm and within a second, the shade of his keyblade returned, blocking the other's attempt. The black flames digistructed itself in it's own black cloak, just as his own keyblade once did. Aqua watched him smile, and she hated it. It was that same smile she had when he wasn't' taking their training seriously, or whenever he felt like he was letting her win. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what just yet. He hadn't done that sicne they were kids.

"Hmph." Terra's eyes changed. They became more callow, more serious. Aqua was familiar with it. It was the face he would make when they spared. He was going to change it into something serious, yet there was something hidden. The phantom only smiled. It was unnerving. Even in their later spars, Terra never smiled, and it was that smile that made her angrier. She hated that it knew her words. Hated that it had Terra's body. She hated that it was smiling like it knew it was getting to her. He pushed her blade away, slamming his own into the ground below them. The sand and dust burst through and she could feel the weak earth give way. Aqua leapt upwards and aimed her keyblade at him, firing a series of fireballs downwards. Even if it took Terra's form, there would always be Terra's weaknesses, and she knew them well.

"Old technique Aqua." Terra responded. He didn't move. As she descended, it became clear he was waiting. The flames fell like rain. There was no way he could have found a way past it. She knew this. It had to hit. As the flames landed and spread across the earth, the pillar itself shattered, and between the smoke and dust, finding her opponent was becoming an increasingly difficult task.

Aqua twisted her body. The flames crackled and sputtered against the dust and sand. Noise slowly filled her ears and finding a shadow of a man, even Terra's, was hard. The smoke was thick, and the spurring sands in the air made glassy sheens. Her eyes darted, but smoke and haze grew increasingly problematic. She raised her hand, using her sleeves as a cover. She could smell the smoke on them, and it made her cough.

"You've gotten so used to fighting the animals of this place, haven't you?" His voice returned and instantly she lowered her arm, her stance returning. "You've lost touch with how to fend yourself from someone who thinks. You're losing your touch, Aqua."

Another taunt. The woman's face scrunched into anger as she heard his voice trailing. She couldn't tell from where, but wherever he was, he was close enough to be heard. She kept her blade hand steady. From the side of her eyes she saw the black form grow and glide towards her. Aqua raised her blade and sparks scratched as the metal came into contact with the shade-weapon. She quickly pushed a barrier around her as the phantom turned to strike once more, and she released the energy, knocking him back.

"Sometimes old tricks still work." She rushed the man and pointed her blade at his throat. The phantom's face gazed back. Its cracked porcelain skin displayed a grimace. "Where is Terra?"

The phantom's yellow eyes flickered, focusing frantically between the woman's face and the blade' edge at his own throat. "You don't see." He let out a frustrated noise as his eyes turned to the woman. "You _can't_ see what's obvious. Think about it, Aqua. What was the last thing you did before you were here? Do you even remember?" There was anger in his voice, just as there was a strain. She knew that tone. He had it whenever they argued. Her eyebbrows furrowed as she thought upon the man's words. She remembered what she did. It never left her. How could it? She had to fight him. She practically had to kill him.

"You're on the other side of this place. I made sure of it."

"You made sure _he_ made it to the other side." He responded harshly. Aqua's eyes widened, and the phantom's only kept their angered glare. "What did you think? Somehow that would save me? I could have won control! The master had finally reached me! He showed me how to fight against the darkness." His eyes began to swell, the cracked black veins in his face pushed forward, showing prominently across his rage-filled face. "I could have won if he did not return to you."

"What are you talking about?!" She glared at him in return. It was one thing for this phantom to take Terra's shape, it was another to disrespect her master. "The master was dead! You killed him! You killed him in your 'mission' to save yourself!" Aqua could feel her own anger rise. Her blood boiled and she could feel it inside her. A part of her just wanted to finish it. Just to drive the blade into his throat and be done. This thing was false. An amalgamation meant only to bring more pain. She could feel it was its purpose.

"_That." _He uttered softly. "It always will be that, won't it." He let out a sigh. "And it still matters now, doesn't it. Who do you think is in control of my body, Aqua?" he asked. She was slightly surprised. She had always been certain that Terra had managed to wrestle free.

"You're just realizing it." She felt herself slowly move the blade away from the phantasmic being, who slowly pulled himself away from the weapon. "He's out there. He's _been_ out there." He emphasized as he fuly pushed his body up on his legs. Aqua lowered her weapon. "And this. This body is all that I have left." He took a step towards her. She shuttered at the thought. She felt frozen. "You can't be him." She murmured, but she could feel the thought slowly winning against her with each step he took.

One step. She remembered how the golden sheen kept him from attacking her. Another step. She rememberd that black keyblade locking him away. She felt the shutter rise up her spine. She could smell it. She could smell him. It was a smell she was familiar with. He'd always come back home from training hot and sweating, and it had been imprinted as his smell to her.

"Get away." She uttered softly at first. "Get. Away." It was louder, and consumed with her anger. The phantom stopped and looked at her. He didn't speak. His weapon had long been dispelled. His barren yellow eyes gazed upon her. She couldn't' see gentleness. She couldn't see him in those eyes.


End file.
